Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings
Synopsis:
Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.
But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.
Can you briefly describe what’s happening in THE BEHOLDER and their main characters?
THE BEHOLDER is a there-and-back-again story: Selah, our main character, has her marriage proposal declined and she’s sent away from home by her stepmother to find a husband elsewhere. The Beholder’s crew and her suitors—plus a couple ~unauthorized~ boys—make up the rest of the cast.
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Selah. She’s a squishy-hearted bookworm, just like me. Apart from her, I love Homer. He’s a grumpy old man who tells it to you like it is. Also, he has a map in his office.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
I was blow-drying my hair and thinking about Stephenie Meyer’s THE HOST! Romance was rolling around my brain. And once I got the idea to structure the book around the fairy tales I retell, the rest was history.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
Blood Stutter, by Handsome Ghost. It’s tentative and emotional and sparkly and gauzy and I listened to it a BAZILLION TIMES while I drafted.
Since it is still cold outside, what hot drink do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
I will be drinking a thousand cups of PG Tips tea with two sugars and a heap of milk as I draft the sequel, so… that.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE BEHOLDER?
If you need magic, I highly recommend ECHO NORTH by Joanna Ruth Meyer, A TREASON OF THORNS by Laura Weymouth, or HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones.
If you need romance, I would point you to FROM TWINKLE, WITH LOVE by Sandhya Menon, DEFY THE STARS et al. by Claudia Gray, or UNMARRIAGEABLE by Soniah Kamal (not YA, still awesome).
What’s next for you?
I’m working on THE BEHOLDER #2! And……..other things.
I believe in woods, mountains, highways, cobblestones, roller coasters, dancing, concerts, cherry Pop Tarts, books, and magic.
When I'm not reading or writing on my couch, I'm dragging my husband off on an adventure, communing with Salem (my kitten/spiritual familiar), or causing trouble at One More Page Books, where I work.
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